[JYO] Leesburg Maneuvering Area

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Without getting into specfics, and definitely NOT wanting to get into a debate 
on the relative merits of the procedure, I would like to make an appeal to 
local pilots regarding the  ""Leesburg Maneuvering Area"".  I believe that 
these comments are germane to all pilots flying in the ADIZ.

Having been 'rewarded' with a special procedure to arrive and depart VFR at 
JYO, it seems a fair number of pilots, a good number of them based at Leesburg, 
are abusing that procedure.  Specifically, multiple pilots PER WEEK are using 
the 1226/1227 code to arrive/depart JYO either to the NE or SW.  My first 
reaction to this news was 'Oh, so the guy clipped the line by a mile, who 
cares?', but it's not that simple.  We have people arriving from CSN who follow 
US 15 (and that ain't even CLOSE to the LMA) and then we have people going back 
and forth to GAI with the maneuvering area code.  A cursory glance at the map 
will show anyone that the only safe way to keep your license is to proceed NW 
from the field, or approach the field from the NW, when VFR.

The logical pilot will start his or her response to my post with the question 
'What the heck is a maneuvering area, anyway?', (neither the FAR, AIM, nor the 
PTS address such a thing) and you might question the logic of creating such an 
animal via the already-flawed NOTAM process.  Please save your logic for places 
where logic matters.  The ADIZ isn't one of them.  My opinions regarding the 
ADIZ, the LMA, and the NCRCC are well known, and I hope not to debate them 
here.  This is not a political discussion forum.  Well, at least it isn't 
supposed to be. What does matter is that the powers that be are annoyed, and if 
this continues to be a problem, the LMA might not be available any more. This 
would be a bad thing, in my opinion.  

The Leesburg Executive Airport Commission will take some steps to address the 
issue, and we'll be taking them in the very near future.  We've asked the FAA 
to work with us, along with AOPA, and we'll be addressing individual aircraft 
owners forthwith.  We're also looking at legislative action.  Meanwhile, it's 
each pilot's responsibility to check and comply with NOTAMs, regardless of 
their complexity, or your opinion of their reasonableness and validity, and 
make sure that you don't use the maneuvering area codes outside of the specific 
guidance.

Thanks for your time.

Dennis


Dennis B. Boykin IV
Chairman
Leesburg Executive Airport Commission
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